GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum Washington, D.C. MMG superstar and culture iconoclast Wale announces his signing to Warner Bros. Records. The rapper will unleash his sixth full-length album in 2018.

“I am delighted that Wale has joined Warner Bros. Records,” says Tom Corson, Co-Chairman & COO, Warner Bros. Records. “He is a pillar in the hip-hop community and beyond; with his cultural relevance and lyrical prose, he continues to elevate the game. Wale is truly a force to be reckoned with and we look forward to a successful partnership for years to come.”

“This is an exciting step for me. I am thrilled to be at a company that is willing to showcase my artistry, while supporting my entrepreneurial spirit,” says Wale. “I felt their passion, commitment, and enthusiasm from day one. They believed in my vision whole heartedly, and I am ready to show and prove.”

Wale’s previous three albums were released by Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of WMG, so his WBR deal is a homecoming of sorts. The signing was celebrated at a dinner at Crustacean in Beverly Hills on May 15 attended by Ross, WMG CEO Stephen Cooper and WBR co-chairman and COO Tom Corson as well as influential curators, like Spotify’s Carl Chery, and other executives from the greater Warner family.

Wale first came onto the scene in 2006 and saw his first release, “Mixtape About Nothing,” two years later. The collection’s nod to “Seinfeld” garnered widespread acclaim and launched Wale’s music career. Subsequent albums “Ambition” (2011), “The Gifted” (2013) and “The Album About Nothing” (2015) all charted in the Top 3 of the Billboard 200 while his 2011 single “Lotus Flower Bomb” was a hit featuring Miguel.